Hey everyone,

I am looking into getting my first floppy board for travel and tournament play.  I am going with the boards available on wholesale chess, and trying to decide between a mousepad or vinyl board.  Anyone with some pros and cons that could help me decide which is the right pick for me?

The last time I owned a vinyl board (about 20 years ago) I found that they creased/crumpled horribly. Maybe better storage would have helped but I can't think that there is anything worse than a vinyl board.

I think mousepad boards are better overall. Vinyl boards are fine if you keep them rolled up and they're easier to clean than mousepad boards which can stain easily if you're not careful. Vinyl boards are also far easier to damage. If something is pressed into it even slightly then there may be a permanent mark. They are much more portable due to their thin size. 

I'd still pick the mousepad though because they are a nice size, hard to damage (be careful about stains), don't allow pieces to slide or fall and look much cooler.

I have both, and actually vinyl turns out to be more practical in club games. This is because it easily rotates for people that are OCD about having the coordinates line up with the white side. Whenever I played on my mousepad board, people would go to rotate it for the next game and found it wouldn't budge because of the grip. It's also a little more difficult to spot-clean, but that's a minor thing.

I would never buy a mousepad board. They're big, bulky, and can't be rolled up well -- simply a nightmare for portability. Maybe if you had a special carrying case designed to accomdate their awkward size it could help, but I can't imagine anything worse than a mousepad board.

I also don't like how the mousepad boards feel squishy when you put a piece on them. I much prefer the solid feel of a vinyl board on a hard tale surface.

Roll up your vinyl board and put it in any one of the dozens of carrying cases for chess sets and you won't worry a minute about damage to the board.

I'm also a vinyl board guy.  Love the way the pieces slide from square to square.  I find the mousepad boards stick to the pieces a little bit, making it harder to accurately push your pawns under time duress.  Never fold your vinyl board, but roll it up in your carrying case, and you'll get good mileage out of it.

Some facts:

1. People that prefer vinyl chessboards have a higher incidence of heart attack, stroke, and mental illness (including depression and suicide) than peope who use mousepad boards.

2. When Moses came down from the Mount and saw the faithless worshipping the Golden Calf... quite a few of them were playing blitz on slippery creased vinyl boards with analog timers.

3. Sir Isaac Newton said, "If I have seen further than others, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants (who themselves stood on uncreased, no slip, mousepad boards)."

4. When I went to the park to play blitz with some guys from the neighborhood everything was fine until I offered to use my set, with the vinyl board (and analog timer) ... oh the humiliation

5. I bought a mousepad board (and a digital clock) and they talk to me again.

So should we ask our doctor about mousepad boards now?

http://www.wholesalechess.com/images/products/0285P_3L.jpg

Only the last two pictures on the top row are helpful though.

Mouse pad boards are great! They always lie flat. I don't know why someone said they were not portable?! To me there is no comparison. I don't  like playing "on hills" like with the vinyl boards sometimes.

Cheap vinyl boards are just junky equipment, but don't judge all vinyl boards on the bad one, or poorly cared for ones.

I have an excellent rollup that lays flat after being in its tube for years.

I also have a folding vinyl board that is excellent equipment, though it is less portable than the rollup.

The cloth covering of the mousepad boards can discolor and stain while the vinyl can just be wiped off. Something to consider. Also, pieces don't slide on mousepad boards. If you are an inveterate slider, like me, beware.

I really like vinyl. I haven't had any problems with durability or laying flat. They are simple, cheap, portable, and classic.

I like the flatness and solidity of the mousepad.  I think they are a piece of cake to store (my bag is pretty ordinary and the board fits fine in it).  The only thing about the mousepad board I don't like is that the pieces don't slide easily on it - not a big deal, but worth mentioning.

As a side note, I roll my mouse pad around my chronos for added protection from bumps and dings.

I never had an issue using vinyls. We have about 30 of them sitting in a box.

Thanks a lot for all the feedback everyone, I really appreciate it.  Does anyone happen to have experience with the vinyl boards sold at Wholesale Chess website?  If they are high quality I may go with one for the stain resistance, but the mousepad board really intrigues me.

The WSC vinyl boards are top notch, IMO.  I have a few of them.  For the record, I also prefer mousepad.  They're rock solid.